Crown Prince Ezequiel Clemente
"Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. That's the only way to become what you were meant to be." ''~Prince Ezequiel Clemente '''Prince Ezequiel Clemente '(also known as Zeke Williams) is the younger brother of King Ferdinand Clemente VI of Spain and Archduchess Hannah Clemente of Austria, and the older brother of Princess Halle Clemente and Prince-Regent Benjamin Clemente of France, as well as the uncle of Princess Akimi Clemente. Ezequiel is the Heir to the Throne of Spain, as well as the Hand of the King, thus making him the second-in-command of the Spanish Empire. He is known for his cunning, bravery, and extreme loyalty to his family. Biography Early Life & Piracy Ezequiel Clemente is the Prince and Hand of the King of Spain. He was born under the name Ezequiel Clemente, and was the son of King Philip Clemente V and his wife, Grace Goldtimbers. Prince Ezequiel Clemente grew up alongside two of his brothers, Ferdinand and Silus, in his father's palace in Madrid, and trained in the ways of combat by the legendary Sir Lunius Sargento, a childhood friend of his father. In his youth, the Young Lion gave a great deal of his time to studying, learning and a multitude of languages, including French, English, Russian, Swedish, German, Portuguese, among others, and extensively studying word histories and political philosophy. Even going as far back as their childhood, Ferdinand and Ezequiel could never be found very far from one another, doing everything together. They even roomed together in Palacio de Clemente, despite their father offering to give them separate rooms. However, often neglected by his Philip, who heavily favored Ferdinand over his second son, the young prince developed a strong rebellious streak, and consistently failed to meet his father's expectations. At age sixteen, after a particularly volatile fight with his father, Ezequiel was sent away to live with his mother in Versailles, France. In France, Ezequiel developed a close relationship with his younger sister, Princess Halle Clemente, spending a good deal of his time there with her. When he was nineteen years old, the prince boarded a ship, intending to take a trip to the colonies his father's empire controlled in the New World. However, whilst passing through the Caribbean on its way to New Spain, the ship was raided by pirates under the command of a pair of betrothed pirates, Elizabeth Anne Black and Mark Stormwrecker. Zeke opted to join the pirate crew, adopting the alias "Zeke Williams," rather than die or be held for ransom with the rest of the crew, disguising the fact that he was, in fact, a Spanish prince. Mark and Elizabeth took a shine to the youth, educating him in the dastardly ways of the pirate, regarding him as their son. In the following years, Zeke would set off with his own pirate ship, the White Wolf, a War Frigate, and continue his life of pillaging, amassing a crew. Some time after this, Mark Stormwrecker vanished without a trace, leaving behind a bereaved Williams, and his wife, Elizabeth, who would soon vanish as well. The loss of his parental figures had a profound effect on Zeke, and his conduct became much more sinister subsequently, for a brief time. However, it would not be long before the majority of Williams' crew was killed after being sold out by a member of it to the East India Trading Company, who caught the White Wolf ''in an ambush. This encounter earned Zeke the pirate brand upon his arm, and he would go on to work with a much smaller, more close-knit crew, lowering the bar of his ambitions. At one point during this time period, he conceived a bastard daughter, named Cara. The Return Home Eventually, Williams disbanded his entire crew, and sailed the seas in a more exploratory capacity. He worked as a mercenary, meeting and becoming friends with Leonhard Bosch, whom he fought alongside during his tenure as a mercenary for the Dutch military. On his solo voyages, he eventually met back up with his older sister, Hannah Clemente, who convinced him to return to Spain with her. He was welcomed back home by his father with open arms, and accepted as a Spanish Prince, though, due to his sudden re-emergence, and his father's great disapproval of his beliefs and mannerisms, Prince Ezequiel never held much power within the nation. Philip even saw him as such a great disappointment that he would later try to have his name struck from all records, preferring to forget that his second-oldest son even existed. Despite this, the Forgotten Prince was accepted as a Ranger of his father's Ranger Order. Rebellion Ezequiel's older brother, Ferdinand Clemente VI, and his younger sister, Halle Clemente, helped him see further into the tyrannical ways of their father, and Ezequiel joined Ferdinand's cause to take the throne from King Philip through revolt and rebellion. Ezequiel participated in all three of the violent rebellions that his older brother led against Philip. The first two of these mutinies were hardly notable; they were small-scale riots that were quickly and easily crushed by the tyrannical King Philip, both of which were never even formally named by the history books, being referred to only as a collective with the third and fourth, the collective of the three events being referred to by Pearsonic historians as the Red Rebellion, and the Lion Rebellion by modern Monarchic historians. The War of the Triumvirate The third rebellion came in the form of The War of the Triumvirate, in 1745. After their uncle, Leon Goldtimbers, had been defeated, Ferdinand, along with Edgar Estrépito de Hierro (Ironcrash) and Silus Clemente, a younger brother of Ferdinand and Ezequiel, led a rebellion against Philip, and Ezequiel followed. The War of the Triumvirate would be a brutal conflict, with Samuel Harrington of the East India Trading Company and his forces pledging to support the rebel cause. The rebellion began with a mutiny led by Ferdinand, Edgar, and Silus in the headquarters of the Ranger Order in Gerona. Bravely striking out against the unrelenting tyranny of Philip, the mutinying Rangers executed those who supported the king. Meanwhile, Lord Samuel Harrington of the EITC had landed in Pamplona with forces to support Ferdinand's campaign, and Queen Grace Goldtimbers, mother of Ferdinand, Silas, and Ezequiel, sent General Francis Bluehawk with French troops to aid them as well. This coalition tore through the Spanish countryside, putting down any loyalists to Philip that they could find in rather small-scale battles and confrontation as they tirelessly hunted for the king and his men. Philip had led his armies into the Pyreene Mountains, garrisoning them in a fortress built by ancestors of the Clemente family years earlier during the Crusades that sat atop the mountain of Pico d'Aneto. The combined forces of the French, the EITC, and the Lion Rebellion fell upon King Philip's encamped men, attacking the fortress with all of their might and fury in the Battle of Muerte de Clemente. Despite being vastly outnumbered, King Philip's forces were able to win the day due to having better cover and strategic positioning, as well as being holed up in a fortress. Lunius Sargento slew Edgar and Silus. Ezequiel fled Spain with the body of his younger brother Silus, making for the Caribbean, and burying the poor boy in a crypt on Cutthroat Isle. Enraged and saddened by the loss of his brother, the second-oldest Clemente son vowed revenge against his father, rather than Lunius, knowing that Lunius was merely following orders and upholding his honor. Post-Rebellion Despite their defeat in the Battle of Muerte de Clemente, Ferdinand and Ezequiel would continue to rebel in smaller ways, killing a Spanish soldier or causing them to desert here and there, causing general disturbances and speaking out against their father. However, in one particular instance in 1745, the younger of the two was finally tracked down, captured, and imprisoned following an attack on a Spanish ship, but Kelly "Stormeagle" Diaz would come to the aid of Prince Ezequiel, freeing him from Spanish custody. Diaz would be remembered for her actions, and would be made a noble years later, in 1750, as a result. Both of Ezequiel and Ferdinand were finally exiled from Spain in 1746. Ezequiel would go on to found and lead a guild of mercenaries known as the Northern Caribbean Company (North). As the leader of the Company, Ezequiel would impede in hardly-noteworthy ways upon the operations of the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean and the rest of the New World. North would accept a mercenary contract from the Kingdom of Haven, and serve to defend the island ant their interests for a time, before the exiled Prince set his sights on grander things, sailing off toward the horizon with a head held high, filled with ambitious (and rebellious) thoughts once more. For three years, the wayward Spanish Prince sailed the seas once again on ''Canción Maldita ''(the ''Cursed Song), under the name Zeke Williams, flying the Spanish banner (much to the chagrin of his father), and hunting down pirate ships, conscripting criminals from the crews he defeated into the Northern Caribbean Company, with the intent of building an army to return and take the throne of Spain from his father once and for all, accruing additional vessels and arms over the three-year span. The War of Spanish Succession In 1749, hearing word that his older brother was planning yet another rebellion, Ezequiel set a course for home. He would return not as a disgraced failure, he decided, but as a conquering instrument of justice. The Prince weighed anchor near Cadiz, in the Strait of Gibraltar, and made camp, awaiting the arrival of Ferdinand, who commanded an army of devout, holy knights known as the Order of the Lion. When the vengeful Clemente son arrived with his own armies, he found his younger brother with an army of several thousand mercenaries, ready to rally to his cause. Surrendering his men to Ferdinand's ambitions, Ezequiel took a position as second-in-command of his brother's armies. However, a detachment of ships under the command of Lord Admiral Spadus Ignacio IV was soon sent to annihilate the Lion Fleet at anchor. Philip had vastly underestimated his sons' capabilities, however, and his ships were reduced to splinters in the Skirmish of Gibraltar. Following their naval victory, the brothers Clemente struck up the banner of the mighty lion, forsaking the eagle sigil of their father's family, and taking up the sigil of their mother's, and marched on Cadiz, but their father awaited with his own army. Overconfident as ever, King Philip Clemente had only brought with him only half of the men that his sons had gathered. The two armies met on a sunny day, on a field near the intended target of the invading army. The sons drenched the plain in the blood of their father's armies, slaughtering them quite easily. The Battle of Cádiz was an easy victory for the Lion cause. The prideful father had underestimated his determined sons for the second time. It would not be his last mistake on the field of battle during the War of Spanish Succession. With Cadiz taken, more Spaniards rallied to the cause of the rebelling sons, taking up arms against their tyrannical king. Ferdinand and Ezequiel marched their armies north, sweeping away encampments and outposts of Philip's forces as they went. However, Ferdiand would soon order than they split up. Ezequiel's target would be the unprotected Madrid, while Ferdinand marched further north to take Barcelona. The Lion soldiers swept into the capital city of Spain, confronting Philip's men in the streets, and sacking the city, pillaging and plundering it, and slaughtering any Pearsonic loyalist they could find. The Prince claimed the city as theirs, and the Young Lion put Palacio de Clemente, the colossal monument to his father's greed and vanity, to the torch, reducing it to naught but ashes, along with all of their kin, even siblings, who still supported Philip. Though Ezequiel had won the capital city of the Spanish Empire, they still had Philip and his dwindling armies to deal with. Ezequiel rode into the Pyreenes Mountains to assist his brother, who was sieging Fort Paradox, the stronghold that their father had holed up in. When he arrived, Ferdinand ordered him to hang back with the cavalry and wait for his signal, much to his chagrin, but he followed his orders. The Young Lion stood by and watched was his elder brother assaulted the fortress, bombarding it with cannonfire and charging it multiple times to no avail, before he finally breached the gates of the old keep. Just as quickly as his men had entered Fort Paradox, however, Ferdinand ordered them to retreat, fleeing through the gates that they had just burst through. Believing he had the last of the Lion armies within his clutches, Philip ordered all ''of his soldiers to charge out after his son's forces. The loyalists to the king pursued Ferdinand's men as ordered, snapping at their heels like the rabid dogs that they were. No sooner were they out of the fort than they heard the thundering of hooves. In came Ezequiel with the Lion cavalry, smashing their left flank with his lancers. Broken and frenzied, the king's forces were butchered by the princes, who emerged victorious. The victors of the Battle of Barcelona marched proudly into the fortress, tearing down the eagle banners of House Clemente, and replacing them with the new sigil of the royal house: the Lion. Philip came out to meet his sons, and was met with an immediate round from the pistol of his eldest son, bringing his reign, along with his life, to a decisive end. Ferdinand was immediately coronated as the King of Spain and all its lands. The Serpent of Cadiz The Lion victory at the Battle of Barcelona and the coronation of Ferdinand VI marked the end of the Pearsonic (Paradox) Era. With his brother's reign fully secured, Prince Ezequiel set sail for the Kingdom of Haven, wishing to serve the strange and mystical land that he had formerly utterly abandoned once more, where he became Lord Protector of the nation. Soon after his return, Clemente married Queen Keira Kinover-Mar and became the King of Haven, but the two divorced after a relatively short marriage, due to disagreements between the two monarchs over Ezequiel's compulsion to continue to help Spain. Following his divorce from Keira and departure from Haven, Zeke pursued a place in the hierarchy of Spain's government, joining the Spanish Syndicate, and taking up his Clemente name once more. He began as the nation's Director of Military Development, overseeing the training of Spain's military forces. However, the prince soon took on the office of Secretary of State, managing the majority of Spain's foreign affairs. It was during this time period that he married Lady Mercy Vega as well, though the two would later divorce. Later, he would help lead a coup alongside his older brother, King Ferdinand Clemente VI, in the overthrowing of Premier Leonardo Cortes on July 25th, known to Spaniards as Lion's Day, and restoring the absolute power of the Spanish Monarchy and marking the end of the Nationalist Spain (Spanish Syndicate) Era and the beginning of the Monarchic Spain (Kingdom of Spain) Era. The Young Lion's contributions to the effort were great; he ran his sword through Cortes' back, and led a group of Spanish Inquisitors to assassinate Vice Premier Barón Tierras-Cruzadas, stabbing the man to death in the streets outside of a tavern in Madrid later that night. Ezequiel then managed to forge peace with the British Empire for the first time since his family had assumed power. Ferdinand named his younger brother Hand of the King, and his heir, in the event that he would not receive any children. As a gift to Ezequiel, Ferdinand also legitimized the Crown Prince's bastard, Cara, naming her Princess Cara Clemente. Hand of the King In the coming months, under the leadership of the Clemente brothers, the Kingdom of Spain would flourish and grow, undergoing many government reforms spearheaded by Ezequiel, and forming an organized armada. When Lord Admiral Guldan Amengual turned on the Kingdom of Spain, joining a band of rebels who sought a return to Pearsonic ideals, and was subsequently defeated by the Prince on October 19th, 1750, who would go on to be the temporary Lord Admiral of the Spanish Navy. The Prince also led Spanish forces during the Pirate Rebellion of 1750, most notably on November 24th, 1750, during the Battle of Isla de la Avaricia, when the combined forces of Britain and Spain soundly defeated a coalition of rebellious pirate guilds led by Darkskull, leader of the Undead Rebels. After extensive searches made by Ezequiel, the prodigal Princess Halle Clemente of Spain was returned to Cadiz on December 9th, 1750. The next day, on December 10th, 1750, Ezequiel was giving his grandfather, Prime Minister Johnny Goldtimbers, a tour of his prized ship, the ''Cursed Song, docked at the Spanish colony of Isla de la Avarica, when he saw a familiar ship approaching on the horizon. It was the Dark Knight, the flagship of the Undead Rebels, fleeing Kingshead, being pursued by an EITC warship. Ordering the Song ''to weigh anchor, Ezequiel manned the wheel, and set out to meet the ''Dark Knight ''with another Spanish warship, ''Pierro de Hierro (the Iron Dog), captained by Viscount Zenter Vega. The ''Dark Knight ''was met with a hail of cannon fire from the three ships, and sank to the depths of Mar De Plata, ending the Skirmish of Kingshead. Darkskull was plucked from a piece of floating wreckage of his ship, taken back to Avaricia with the Spanish forces, and immediately executed personally by the Spanish Prince on the charge of piracy, marking the decline and death of the Undead Rebels and the Undead Rebellion. Subsequently, Ezequiel would organize the talks for Swedish independence from the short-lived "empire" of Haven-Denmark-Norway, leading to the dissolution of the Danish government, and the abdication of the Danish lands. Following grievous insults and attacks by the Kingdom of Haven, King Ferdinand would declare war on the small nation, placing the task of the Invasion of Tui'Tonga on the shoulders of his Hand, who would recruit the former Danish official who had been the ambassador to Spain, Magtongen Le'Overalines, to write up the plans for said invasion. However, on a merciful whim, Ferdinand would offer Haven a treaty, drawn up by his younger brother, and the war was avoided. As a result of the treaty, Ezequiel was made Overseeing Governor of Haven, and charged with the task of maintaining order within the nation and seeing to the construction of a Spanish mission in its capital, as well as being given command of Spain's military garrison on the island. He would proceed to defend Haven against the invading Undead forces of the wife of Jolly Roger, Rosa, who had a long-standing grudge against Queen Keira Kinover-Mar. Following a pitiful revolt against the Spanish occupation, Ezequiel recalled the Spanish garrison and left the ungrateful people of Haven to be annihilated by the forces of the Undead. Once the dust had settled, the survivors were supposedly hunted down and killed by the Spanish Inquisition on the orders of their Grand Inquisitor, the Crown Prince, for the charge of mass paganism during the New Year's Day Massacre on January 2nd, 1751, and the lands of Tui'Tonga were given as a gift to Austria. Moving forward into 1751, Ezequiel continued to serve the Kingdom of Spain, maintaining his government roles. Following the Fernando Reforma on January 20th, 1751, Ezequiel's roles included: Hand of the King, Crown Prince of Spain, Chairman of the Minister Council, Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, Lord Commander of the Paladins of Santiago, and Overseer of the Spanish Armada. Fate Ultimately, after years of serving as his brother's right hand, Ezequiel Clemente would be forced to carry on painfully without his brother, his heart ripped in two when King Ferdinand Clemente VI died in the spring season of the year 1771. From there, Ezequiel had no choice but to do his duty and press his claim, ascending to the Throne of Spain after the War of Spanish Succession of 1771, also known as the War of the Five Kings, becoming King Ezequiel Clemente I of Spain with his victory over all other opposing armies. The reign of King Ezequiel I would be rather short, in comparison to the previous Kings of Spain before him; his great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and older brother had all sat upon the throne for far greater lengths of time than he would. Despite having years to come to terms with his older brother dying, he would never quite get over it, and the spectre of the departed King Who Cared would haunt him for the rest of his days. Depressed, demoralized, and sombered, King Ezequiel Clemente I's reign would end with his death in 1783, and his niece, Princess Akimi Clemente, the daughter of his older brother Ferdinand, would ascend to the throne, as Ezequiel had never produced an heir. Ezequiel Clemente, who had once called the Young Lion, would become known as the Greyed Lion, and would meet death as he had lived quite a few years of his life: forgotten and alone, with all of his major achievements far in the past, and not a friend left by his side to say goodbye as he breathed his final breaths. Personality and Traits Ezequiel Clemente has a rather complex characterization, his true character being almost enigmatic at times, his motives being rarely clear or obvious. The Prince has shown that he can be both cruel and benevolent, and both cold and welcoming. To his allies, Ezequiel is an amicable negotiator and diplomat, always seeking compromise and constructive, mutually-beneficial solutions, and attempting to help his allies grow in power and influence. To his enemies, the younger Clemente brother is a ruthless, cunning, immovable force determined to crush the opposition through force or manipulation. Only one factor remains constant when dealing with Ezequiel: there is always an endgame, and there is always a plan. Notable Family * King Spartan Clemente of Spain (Spartan Petalbee) - Grandfather Deceased * Queen Pearl Clemente of Spain (Madame Pearl) - Grandmother Deceased * Prime Minister Giovanni Goldtimbers of Great Britain (Johnny Goldtimbers) - Grandfather * Queen Marie Antoinette of France (Marie Antoinette) - Grandmother Deceased * Hector Goldtimbers (Hector Goldtimbers) - Great Uncle Deceased * King Phillipe Clemente V of Spain (Pearson Wright) - Father Deceased * Queen Mother Grace Goldtimbers of Spain/France (Duchess of Anemois/Grace Goldtimbers) - Mother * King Jack Goldtimbers of France (Jack Bluehawk) - Uncle Deceased * King Ferdinand Clemente VI of Spain (Cadet) - Brother * Queen Rosabella Clemente of Spain (Nell/Rachel Sailhawk) - Sister-in-Law * Princess Stardust Clemente of Spain (Stardust) - Sister MIA * Archduchess Hannah Clemente of Austria (Hannah Bluefeather) - Sister * Princess Trish Clemente of Spain (Trish Peer) - Sister MIA * Princess Sparky Clemente of Spain (Sparky Whitewolf) - Sister Exiled * Princess Roberta Clemente of Spain (Bobby Moon) - Sister MIA * Princess Halle Clemente of Spain (Halle) - Sister * King Johnathan Clemente of Sweden (John MacBatten) - Brother MIA * King David Clemente of Poland (Davy Gunfish) - Brother * Prince Hannibal Clemente of Spain (Hawkeye) - Brother MIA * Prince Silus Clemente of Spain (Syko) - Brother Deceased * Sultan Don Roberto Clemente of the Ottoman Empire (Robert Shipstealer) - Brother MIA * Princess Morgan Clemente of Spain - Sister Deceased * Princess Chelsea Clemente of Spain - Sister Deceased * Prince Taylor Clemente of Spain (Taylor) - Half-Brother Exiled * King Benjamin Clemente of France (Ben Squidskull/Dandandragon) - Half Brother * Prince Giorgio Clemente of Spain (George Sailward) - Adoptive Brother * Princess Cara Clemente of Spain (Cara) - Daughter * Hector Clemente (Hector Pillageparr) - Nephew * Princess Lucia Clemente of Spain (Kitty/Lucia Clemente) - Niece Deceased * Princess Akimi Clemente of Spain (Akimi) - Niece * Prince Hugo De La Cruz of Austria - Nephew * Prince Edgar Breasly of Great Britain/Austria (Edgar Wildrat) - Nephew MIA * Prince William Breasly of Great Britain/Austria (William Yellowbones) - Nephew * Prince Samuel Clemente II of Spain (Sam Hookrage) - Nephew Deceased * Cersei Goldtimbers (Cersei Goldtimbers) - Second Cousin * James Goldtimbers (James Goldtimbers) - Second Cousin * Lord General Pulp Daggerlord of the East India Trading Company Black Guard - Third Cousin Guild History * Stormwreckerz (POTCO) - Officer * Ocean Gods (POTCO) - Member * Caribbean Rangers (POTCO) - Member * The Delta Empire (POTCO) - Member * La Casa De Espana (POTCO) - Member * The Paradox (POTCO) - Officer * The Delta Republic (POTCO) - Officer * Casa Di Royale (POTCO) - Veteran * North (POTCO) - Guildmaster * The Outlanders (TLOPO) - Member * Kingdom of Haven (TLOPO) - Officer * Spanish Syndicate (TLOPO) - Officer * Kingdom of Spain (TLOPO) - Co-Guildmaster Known Associates, Past and Present (Under Construction) Duchess Kelly Diaz Duchess Kelly of the Noble House Diaz has a long, though thoroughly uncomplicated, history with Ezequiel Clemente. In a rare instance for Pearsonic Spain, Kelly served in the Spanish military alongside the disgraced Prince of Spain during the Paradoxian Wars. The two were vaguely close during this period of time, as Ezequiel's personal relationships within his father's iteration of the Spanish Empire were fairly limited. However, Kelly's loyalty would be proven in the year 1745, when, after another failed rebellion against his father, Prince Ezequiel was disowned and imprisoned. Kelly came to his aid, freeing him from captivity, and helping him escape north into the safety of France, the nation that Clemente's mother ruled, where he could find shelter from the Rangers of the Ranger Order that Philip soon dispatched to hunt him down. Following her betrayal of the king, Kelly had to flee Spain. Years later, in 1750, Diaz returned to the nation upon hearing that Ferdinand Clemente had risen with his brother to take the throne from Philip, and was leading the Kingdom of Spain into a new age of prosperity. For her services to House Clemente and the former Red Rebellion, Kelly Diaz and her family were restored to the nobility, and Kelly became Duchess Kelly Diaz, and was granted the title of Royal Courtier, and later the title of Royal Stewardess when she was promoted to the Royal Council. After the Fernando Reforma, with the dissolving of the Royal Council, Ezequiel and his brother granted their trusted ally and close friend the title of Minister of Stewardship within Ferdinand's Cabinet, entrusting her to continue her task of keeping communication in their nation fluid, and making sure things were well-organized and properly documented. The Spanish government later had a falling-out with Kelly Diaz, and she fled the nation. From there, a bitter disdain developed between Ezequiel and his long-time friend. Sir Lawrence Vega The association of Sir Lawrence Vega, Viscount of the Noble House Vega, also known as the Iron Hawk, and Prince Ezequiel Clemente began long before Lawrence was a Knight and Ezequiel was acknowledged as a prince. Years prior, when Ezequiel had been a pirate, he and Lawrence had crossed paths and worked together on several occasions, sailing with the wind at their backs and the a hunger for adventure in their souls. They raided several ports together before parting ways, as all good pirates do when they get to liking one another too much; as a pirate, one cannot afford to put anything before one's lust for treasure. To a pirate, no friendship can be worth more than a hefty sum of gold, a tankard of rum, and a tavern wench (or two). In later days, after Ezequiel founded the Northern Caribbean Company, he happened upon his old friend, Lawrence Ironhawk (as he was called back then), sitting in a tavern on the pirate-infested island of Tortuga. Ezequiel approached Ironhawk, giving him a grand proposition. He proposed that Lawrence aid him in what the then-exiled prince called "the greatest raid he would ever take part in." In exchange, Lawrence would have a lordship and a castle, and riches beyond compare.. As it turned out, Ezequiel was talking about overthrowing his father, King Philip Clemente V, and plundering the manors of wealthy Pearsonic loyalists in the Spanish countryside. While initially hesitant to become involved in such a political matter with such an unpredictable outcome, the allure of amassing a fortune was too great for Lawrence to turn down, and so the Iron Hawk joined his old friend for one last raid, and so the Prince and the Pirate went forth to Spain. Lawrence followed Ezequiel to war, fighting alongside him in every battle, slaughtering the Pearsonic loyalists in the battles of Gibraltar, Cadiz, Madrid, and Barcelona, loyal to the end, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds against one of the strongest military forces in the entire world. The Iron Hawk and the Young Lion emerged, bruised and bloodied, but victorious nonetheless. However, before Ezequiel could give Lawrence his just rewards, the long-time pirate hopped back on his ship and fled Spain, deciding that a quiet life in a fancy manor just might not be his style. For a few years, Lawrence and Zeke would have no contact, having gone their separate ways without even saying goodbye. As fate would have it, the two could not stay away from each other for long. In late 1750, Ezequiel sent Lawrence a summons. It was an offer for him to forsake his position as a Pirate Lord of the Brethren Court, become pardoned, and begin privateer work for Spain. Hesitantly, Lawrence accepted the offer. Later, he would discover that he was truly the bastard son of deceased Spanish nobleman, and the brother of the exiled nobleman Ares Vega, and thus had a rightful place in House Vega. Lawrence claimed his position as a noble, and got his lordship and castle after all. He would go on to fight valiantly for Spain on a number of occasions, earning himself an induction into the Order of Santiago, and become a Paladin of Santiago, entrusted with the defense of the royal family, along with a myriad of other important duties. Sir Lawrence Vega became the right-hand man of Prince Ezequiel Clemente, and the two were never found very far from each other from then on out. It is rumored that it was Lawrence who carried out Ezequiel's order for the destruction of Haven's remaining population during the New Year's Massacre, with the help of the Spanish Inquisition. Known Kills * Guldan Amengual - During the Battle of Bloody Waters in 1750 * Spartan Clemente - After the War of Spanish Succession in 1749 * Hannibal Clemente I - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Trish Clemente (Presumed) - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Roberta Clemente (Presumed) - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Hannibal Clemente II - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Don Roberto Clemente (Presumed) - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Morgan Clemente - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Chelsea Clemente - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Billy Clemente - Executed for treason in 1750 * Frosty Clemente - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Lucia Clemente (rumored) - For being an obstruction in Ezequiel's path to the throne * Leonardo Cortes - During the Restoration of the Spanish Monarchy in 1750 * Leon Daggerskull - During the burning of Palacio de Clemente in 1749 * Baron Tierras-Cruzadas - During the Restoration of the Spanish Monarchy in 1750 Category:Spanish Royalty Category:The Kingdom of Spain Category:Characters Category:Hand of the King Category:Order of Santiago Category:Ferdinand's Cabinet Category:Paladin of Santiago Category:Kinslayer Category:House Clemente Category:Paradoxian Category:Spanish Syndicate Category:Restorer of the Monarchy Category:Minister of State